The Sconi

The 4.7% pay increase approved last month for Oshkosh Area School District employees is part of the district's investment in its staff, the superintendent recently told a local news outlet.

The pay raise for district employees, approved by the school board in January and will go into effect next school year, is in line with the consumer price index increase as of last July 1, Fox 11 News reported on Monday, Jan. 31.

"Our teachers and staff members are truly difference makers," Oshkosh Are School District Superintendent Bryan Davis said in the Fox 11 news story. "We know that by investing in our staff, we are in turn investing in quality teaching and learning for our students. We are grateful for our school board’s forward-thinking and shared commitment to supporting our staff so that we can continue to retain and attract the best employees."

Davis has been superintendent for less than a year, having been unanimously confirmed in that position by the district's school board in June. Davis, who previously was superintendent of the Shorewood School District and has a doctorate in urban education and a master's in educational administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, succeeded Vickie Cartwright. Cartwright resigned the previous March after an anonymous letter from administers surfaced, claiming she hindered staff with her poor communication and decision-making, creating a culture of distrust.

Money for the pay increase is expected to come, at least in part, from savings realized when the school district moved to a partially self-funded health insurance plan.

The school district is also hiring and has job openings with immediate start dates, in addition to job starts during the 22-23 school year. The school district is planning a district-wide job fair with mini-interviews 4 to 8 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Oshkosh Convention Center on North Main Street, according to a Friday, Jan. 25 news release on its website.

Openings are available for teaching staff and other support areas, including IT, clerical, custodial and food service, in full and part-time options positions.

Job fair attendees are being encouraged to register and sign-up for one-on-one mini-interviews by visiting the school district's website at oshkosh.k12.wi.us/jobs.